Aligning fixture



April 25, 1933. L. w. JOHNSON ALIGNING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1929 M 7 b x 4 w fi 5 U -w .u T a .u 4 w H w 4 Z 2 J 5 6 $3 Wm WW 3 F w x 4 D 0 4 U n. n I H i w M :2 j Q .w MHW i w M .5 m 0 i 2 m 4+ fl W W U E April 25, 1933. L. w. JQHNSQN ALIGNING FIXTURE Filed March 20. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZhUMOW [607242575X 77J0/zm0rz Patented Apr. 25 1933 1 UNITED STATES LEONARD W. JonnsoN, onB'A'rAvIh; inmnoi's Q ALIGNING FIXTURE? Application filed March 20,

My invention relates to alignin fixtures and has particular reference to a iixture by means of which the bearing centers of connecting rods for automobile engines can be aligned with relation to each other.

A further object of my invention is the provisionof an aligning fixture whereby the axesof the bearings in the connecting rods for piston heads in internal combustion engines may be properly aligned even though the connecting rods themselves may vary slightly in dimension. v

In practice it has been found that due to different conditions of manufacture theconnecting rods vary slightly in dimension, sometimes as much as to A; of an inch in length. Experience has taught mechanics that the only manner in which the bearings for wrist pins in pistons can be properly reamed is by aligning one fixture with another. Vanous devices for clamping the individual connecting rods have been devised but the centers cannot be accurately u determined in these bearings due to thevariations in dimensions of the connecting rods and even of the bearings themselves. Therefore it has been found necessary to align these connecting rods with each'other in order to obtain the necessary accuracy in reaming out the bearings.

Another and further object of my invention is the provision of an aligning fixture whereby the centers of the wrist pin bear- 7 ings of two connecting rods canbe aligned,

the connecting rods being held in side to side relation with each other and eccentric means being employed for moving one of said rods longitudinally to compensate forthe difler ence in length between the two rods.

These and other objects of my invention will be more fully and better understood'by reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings, and in which-' Figure 1 is a side 'elevational view of my improved invention with a pair of con necting rods in place; I y 3 Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1;

I. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device shown'in Figure 1;

the shaft. 19 which isless in diameter than 1929. Serial no. 348,431; p Figurel is atransversel View partially in elevation and partially insection along the f line 4-4 of Figure-1; and y Figure 5 is a viewtshowing'the eccentric member upon which one of said-connecting rods is m'ounted'..-: :15; #1:

Referring now specifically"; to the drawisq ings and in which like reference :charactersaff refer to like parts throughout, a-=base mem ber designated-as a wholewas 10 is shown,

having. a lfootportion 11,1116 said footporftion having recesses 12 and 13Iformedlin the sides thereof by means 4 of whiclrfthe base member 10 is flsecuredto-a benchlxor; foundation, 'member. i Projecting upward from the foot portion 11 and vformed inte-. gral therewith,,-is a'member 14 having anv opening 15 therein and having a screw meme, ber 16 mounted therein for purposeshereiir after described. ,i i

A shaft 17 extends through the. opening" 15 inthe member 10, the saidshafthavinga collar portion18 intermediatenitsends and I ofiapproximately the same bore asjthe open- 1 ing l5jso that the shaftl'? fits snugly inithe' member 14 and is held in; position by means of the screw '16'which. is tightened against the portion 18.01? the shaft17. Extending outward from the portion'18is a portion. of

the portion18 of the shaft and upon which a pair of rings20,. 20 are mountedythese rings having angularly disposed sides slop-t ingtowards each otherandare adapted to engage against the sides 0f the .connecting rod 21 at the crank shaft'end thereofw internally threaded nut 22 is adaptedto enmember 24having a bore 25 longitudinally therethrough of approximately the same di .ameter as the shaft 23, thisbore being also slightly ofi the center of the central diameter of the member24so that this member is an eccentric'when mounted upon the shaft 23. 'A member .26 is placed in the d: of the-memb lfi2 by i hr d Y recess 27 formed in-the all of the member 24, this member '26 being rectangularjinshape atitsouter side so thatwrench can be fitted to this member by meansofivvhich'the eccentric member'24may be turned. The.

outer end of the member 24'is threaded at 28- and has. a collar portion formed on the inner end thereof which abuts against the. member 14. a A pointer 30. is secured to the.. c,ollar 2,9vv of -the jec centric'member 24 by 1 means, of which the position oflthe eccentric is indicated .tgrthe. operatorv of the device.

. Aidepression :31 is formed .inwthe end of the Wall 14 atthe side-.thereof"so. that Ivvhen. thepointer 30 is in register with the depres f'sionr :31 the "eccentric" 24 is at the half way zap osit-ion and the; center of the crank shaft bearing ofthe connecting rod thereon is in alignment .With thecenter. of the crankshaft bearing. of the other connecting rod.

ThflOuter endof theshaft 23 is threaded andhas a cap-member 32 which is' internally threaded and adapted to fit over the. threads ed portion of the shaft23, this member hav- '7 tion 28 of the eccentric andis adapted to abut against an outer ring 35 loosely mount-f ed upon the eccentric. 24 H Aninner ning 36 i-si also loosely mounted.- upon .the eccentric. 24,these members35and136 having angulara 1 disposed sides sloping tovv ards each other 'ing an. opening 33 therein by means of which the. cap 32- is turned in order to tighten or loosen theegcentric 24 as may be desired. An internally threaded nut is provided whichis adaptedftoengage the threaded porby. means of which'a connectingirod-37 is secured upon the eccentric 24. Themember l 1.4. at the upper'endthereof hasl a: bolt '38 with a threadedmember39 mounted thereon, with' a painof. Wedgemembers40 and 4L re? spectively having. forkedt ends (Fig.

which are adaptedto. engage the connecting was '21 37' When. in position; upon th fixture... A I p c 'A' plurality of collars are shown:

2 having screws .43, .43itherein,..these collars;

' to extend through the'c ollars 42, 42,"the;.in-.

I In operation of havingdiagonally: disposed sides-and adapte. ed to fit: into the bearing 44moun-teda in the wristpin end of theconnecting; rods '21, and;-

37i v Arod: 45: is providedwhich is adapted ternal opening throughthe collars 42 being.

of a; diameter, so that; a snugslidingt'fit; is. afforded: between. the collars. -42' and the rod.

45 sothat there. is substantially no lost mos; tinnhetween the surfacesof the r0d l45= and t-he.oollars42.-. y

the. device the connecting.

rod 21 is mounted .upon the shaft 17 by re.- movingthe nut 22 and the outer collar 20 from the shaft, Whereuponthe connecting rod is slipped over the end of the shaft 17, r

the Washer 20 placed in position and the nut 22 turned up until the connecting rod' 22'is clamped tightly position u ponthe rings w '20,, 20 around the shaft, 17 The inclined isides pfjthe rings" 20autoinatically center. the connectingrod 21in position; There'- upon'the second connecting rod is placed over the eccentric member 24 by removing the nut 84 and ring 35 therefrom When'this 1 The operator nut isjplaced in position. then places the cone members 42, 42 With'the rod 45'extending .therethrough, inv position in the bearing 44 in the outer end of the con-. if

necting rod 21. I The rod 45 is f slipped through the bearings 44 with the pair, of,

members 42, 42 being placed on the connecting rod 37, .If theaXes ofthe bearings 44 coincident there illQbe no difiiculty in in},

serting thel'rod 45 through the; members 42.1

not coincident it will. be impossible to insert the rod 45 through themembers-42 and it 24, placing a vvrenchyupon' the member 26 rwillbenecessaryfor the operator to loosen n the cap 32 thereby loosening theeccentric 95.

andmoving the eccentric member 24unti-1 the rod 45 canbe insertedthrough the meme" V bers42 'carriedfbythe outerendsof the connecting rods.

h After th s. operat on is complete, themembers 40 and 41 are placed in position against,

the connecting'rods-21 and 37 and the thumb screw 39 tightened so that the connecting rods. are held in fixed vertical adjustment. with, each. other ,while-a reameris passed through the bearings 44in theouter' ends of the connecting rod... I will be necessary, of 2 course, before the reaming operation ;to re-f Wish to. be understo as i i i g myself thereto, as I contemplate changes. inform and theproportion o'f-parts and thesubstitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without iltfpart-v ing from thespirit or scope of my invention. I V

Iclaim: .v 1. A fixture comprising in combination; a

base member, a shaft thereon extending If,'however, the axeslof these bearingsgalfe .99

outward at one side thereof, a second shaft I extending outward from said base member on the side opposite said first mentioned shaft, an eccentric bearing member on one of said shafts, clamping means on each of said shafts whereby the crank shaft ends of a pair of connecting rods are secured in side to side relatlon with each other, and means whereby the said eccentric member may be rotated.

2. A fixture comprising in combination, a base member, a shaft thereon extending outward at one side thereof, a second shaft extending outward from sald base member on the side opposite said first mentioned shaft, an eccentric bearing member on one of said shafts, clamping means on each of said shafts whereby the crank shaft ends of a pair of connecting rods are secured in side to side relation with each other, and wrench engagingmeans on said eccentric bearing member. i

3. A fixture comprising in combination, a base member, a shaft thereon extending outward at one side thereof, a second shaft ex tending outward from said base member on upward between the connecting rods, shafts extending outward from said base member, clamping members on each of said shafts, an eccentric bearing member on one of said shafts, a wrench engaging member on the said eccentric bearing member, a pair of oppositely disposed adjustably mounted gauge and support members adapted to engage the connecting rods at their sides and intermediate their ends on the said upwardly extending portion of said base member, and a gauge member adapted to extend through the wrist pin openings of the connecting rods.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of March, 1929. V

LEONARD W. J OHNSON 

